In the prior art, computer applications exist that enable a user to define keyboard macros, which are sequences of characters that are auto-typed in response to a specific key press. One example is AutoHotKey, which provides general-purpose scriptable desktop automation with hotkeys for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Some operating systems (OS) have built-in keyboard macro capabilities. For instance iOS allows the user to define keyboard shortcuts.
KeePass is a password manager application, which stores online usernames and passwords in a database. Selecting a menu item associated with one of the database records causes the stored username and password to be auto-typed into any web form that is open. KeePass is available on all the major desktop operating systems (Windows, OS-X and Linux) and on many mobile devices (iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, Blackberry, J2ME).
These applications and OS have several disadvantages. For example, these applications rely on the user interacting with software running on the host device via keyboard, mouse and menus. Both AutoHotKey and KeePass require the application and its configuration data to be installed on the computer. In some cases, such as when a computer is shared by several users, it may not be desirable to install personal information like passwords on it. Anyone who has physical access to the computer is able to copy the data. AutoHotKey scripts are plain text files, so provide no security at all. iOS keyboard shortcuts are equally insecure. KeePass stores passwords in an encrypted database that requires a master password to view, but information is still stored on the computer. When using KeePass, an unauthorized user could guess the master password, or be watching the authorized user when he or she types it.
As a result, improved methods and apparatuses for entry of character data are needed.